July | 2010 | About Mesothelioma: Asbestos Exposure and Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma Lawyers & Attorneys Info

Guidelines for Mesothelioma Treatment

Monday, July 26th, 2010

The incidence of malignant mesothelioma, a respiratory cancer associated with inhaling asbestos, is expected to double in many countries in the next 20 years, according to the European Society of Medical Oncology. In the United States, approximately 2,500 to 3,000 people die of mesothelioma each year.

In an article in the July issue of the Annals of Oncology, the European Society of Medical Oncology outlines treatment guidelines for patients with mesothelioma. The clinical practice guidelines are developed by the non-profit professional organization, which promotes advances in cancer treatment and prevention, to assist doctors and patients in making decisions about appropriate health care. According to the practice guidelines:

Patients with mesothelioma often first have symptoms of shortness of breath due to excess fluid in the chest. Patients with more advanced cases may have chest pain. A chest x-ray or scan may suggest a case of mesothelioma based on thickening of the membrane lining the the lung called the pleura. Laboratory examination of chest fluid can confirm a diagnosis of mestohelioma. But the lab reports are often equivocal.

Doctors should interview the patient about their work history to try to determine if they were exposed to asbestos in their workplace, the most common cause of mesothelioma. Most cases of mesothelioma are due to occupational exposure

The gold standard for diagnosis of mesothelioma is a microscopic examination of specific antigens in a tissue biopsy obtained through a surgical procedure called a pleuroscopy. A surgical instrument is inserted into the patient’s chest through an incision to collect tissue. Research studies suggest that certain proteins and oseteopontin, a human gene product, are useful indicators to support a diagnosis of methothelioma.

After doctors confirm a diagnosis, a CT scan of the patient’s chest is used to assess the advancement of the cancer. An accurate asessment of the mesothelioma’s stage is essential to determine the most appropriate treatment and the patient’s prognosis. Malignant pleural mesothelioma rarely spreads to distant parts of the body, but patients often have advanced localized cancer in their respiratory system when they are diagnosed.

Various surgical procedures have been used with varying degrees of success, according to the European Society of Medical Oncology. Surgery should be performed only on patients with less advanced cases of mesothelioma as part of a multi-pronged approach to treatment combined with chemotherapy and/or radiation. The use of radiation in treating mesothelioma has been limited because of the difficulty of irradiating such a large area of the body as a lung without irreparably harming the adjacent healthly lung. Still, it is used.

As far as chemotherapy, the use of combinations of cancer drugs, permetrexed and cisplatin, and to a lesser extent, raltitrexed and cisplatin, have led to improved survival results in patients as well as lung function and symptom control, compared to use of cisplatin in clinical trials. The combination of permetrexed and carboplatin is an effective alternative chemotherapy.

Labels: International News, Mesothelioma, Patients, Treatments, Uncategorized
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Ten-Fold Increase in Mesothelioma Deaths in Great Britain

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Deaths from mesothelioma, a respiratory cancer associated with asbestos exposure, have increased more than ten-fold in Great Britain over 40 years.

A study in the July issue of the British Journal of Cancer noted that mesothelioma deaths now represented more than 1 percent of all cancer deaths in Great Britain. Mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lungs or abdomen, typically 30 years or longer after workers inhale asbestos fibers.

The researchers predict that mesothelioma will claim the lives of 91,000 people in Great Britain between 1968 and 2050, with about 61,000 of those deaths occurring after 2007.

While mesothelioma can strike anyone, about 85 percent of victims of mesothelioma in Great Britain are males, many of whom worked in trades where asbestos use was common such as plumbing, ship building, construction and sheet metal work. Asbestos is now banned in Great Britain, but was widely used in building materials until recent decades. The peak year of asbestos exposure was 1963, the study said.

The researchers predicted that mesothelioma mortality among males would peak in the year 2016 with more than 2,000 deaths annually, then decline.

The annual number of mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain has risen fairly steadily from 153 in 1968 to 1848 in 2001, according to the British Health and Safety Executive. Because of the long latency period, many of the recent mesothelioma deaths are a result of heavy asbestos exposure in earlier decades. Britain’s mesothelioma register recorded the deaths of more than 1,700 men in 2006, according to the article.

Labels: International News, Mesothelioma, News
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More Oversight of Private Asbestos Inspectors After NY Case Shows Gaps

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

New York City environmental regulators are making changes to the city’s program that licenses and monitors private asbestos inspectors after a recent criminal case revealed significant lapses in oversight.

Former asbestos inspector, Saverio F. Todaro, pleaded guilty in March in federal court to environmental crimes and fraud, admitting to falsifying hundreds of reports that buildings were free of asbestos, though he never surveyed them. In fact, Todaro continued to falsify reports even after the city had suspended his license in 2004 for excessive notices of violation.

The case raised serious concerns about the oversight of New York’s more than 500 private asbestos inspectors who are licensed by the city. It also prompted questions about how many people were exposed to asbestos because of the fraud and lapses in oversight. Asbestos exposure is associated with serious respiratory disease including mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen, and lung cancer.

The city conducted a two-month internal review of its program and areas where improvements in oversight were needed.

In a memorandum obtained by The New York Times, the New York Department of Environmental Protection said it plans to increase the annual number of field inspections and nearly double the office audits of private asbestos inspectors. The city agency will share its database of licensing information to alert state and federal regulatory agencies of inspectors with suspended or revoked licenses. It plans to convert to an Internet-based filing system that will automatically reject asbestos surveys by inspectors whose licenses have been suspended or revoked.

Before older buildings are remodeled or demolished, building owners are required to survey a structure for the presence of asbestos. Certified asbestos investigators are hired to do that. All asbestos fibers must be carefully contained and removed before a building is remodeled or demolished because asbestos dust, if inhaled, can cause serious respiratory disease including mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of lungs or abdomen.

Labels: Asbestos, News
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Spanish Court Orders Compensation for Victims of Environmental Exposure to Asbestos

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

In a landmark ruling on asbestos, a court in Spain has ordered a manufacturer to pay millions of euros in compensation to residents whose health was damaged by decades of environmental exposure to asbestos.

The Spanish building materials company, Uralita, was ordered to pay the equivalent of $4.9 million to 45 people who lived near an asbestos-cement factory in a Barcelona suburb for “damage to the lungs, leading in some cases to death,” according to the French news agency, Agence France Presse.

Asbestos exposure causes serious respiratory disease including malignant mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen, lung cancer, and non-cancer conditions such as asbestosis, a chronic scarring of the lungs that causing difficulty breathing. More than 125 million people are exposed to asbestos in the workplace today, according to the World Health Organization.

The legal decision is a landmark because it’s the first time that a court in Spain has ordered a company to compensate local residents for health issues related to environmental exposure to asbestos, according to the Spanish daily newspaper El Pais. Previous awards have been to workers who developed health problems after occupational exposure to asbestos in their workplace.

Asbestos was widely used in construction products such as insulation, tile, pipe and for fire-proofing. The Uralita factory used asbestos in the manufacture of cement for decades until use of the mineral fiber was banned in Spain in 2001. The company has said it will appeal.

More than 40 countries including all member states of the European Union have banned all forms of asbestos. Other countries including the United States have restricted asbestos, but continue to allow its use in the manufacture of certain products.

Labels: Asbestos, International News
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Workers Exposed to Asbestos Face Higher Risk of Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Every year, 2,000 to 3,000 Americans die of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen that develops from inhaling microscopic asbestos fibers. Asbestos also contributes to countless thousands of additional deaths from lung cancer every year.

Breathing asbestos increases the likelihood of developing mesothelioma and lung cancer and other non-malignant respiratory diseases such as asbestosis, according to cancer experts. According to the National Cancer Society, approximately one in seven people who suffer from asbestosis, a chronic scarring of the lung caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos, eventually develop lung cancer. The higher the exposure to asbestos, the higher the risk of lung cancer.

Researchers have identified a number of factors that contribute to the development of cancer in non-smokers. Asbestos tops the lists. Non-smoking asbestos workers face a five-fold risk of developing lung cancer as compared to other non-smokers, according to an article in The New York Times.

The risk is magnified in asbestos workers who smoke. Smokers who have been exposed to asbestos face a far higher risk of developing lung cancer. Smoking acts with asbestos to greatly enhance the risk of cancer.

Asbestos has been used in thousands of products such as roofing shingles, water supply pipes, plastic fillers as well as clutches, brake linings and gaskets for motor vehicles. In recent decades, the use of asbestos has declined since the late 1970s, and more than 40 countries have banned the use of all forms of asbestos. Today, asbestos is restricted in the United States, but not banned. People may still be exposed during demolition or remodeling of buildings containing asbestos or in workplaces that still use asbestos. Some o ccupations such as demolition workers, plumbers and pipe fitters have a higher risk of exposure and higher likelihood of developing asbestos-related disease.

Labels: Asbestos, Uncategorized
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Response of Mesothelioma Patients’ Tumors to Chemotherapy May Offer Clues

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Researchers at Columbia University report that changes in the size of tumors in patients with pleural mesothelioma who have undergone chemotherapy may be useful in predicting their response to treatment and survival. Pleural Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer of the lining of the lung associated with exposure to asbestos.

Thousands of Americans have been exposed to asbestos in building materials and manufacturing, and 2,000 to 3,000 die each year of mesothelioma. Typically, 30 to 40 years elapse between the asbestos exposure and the onset of cancer symptoms. Doctors often don’t diagnose the disease until it has reached an advanced stage. The median survival is a year to 18 months.

In a new article in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, researchers at Columbia’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center describe the outcomes of clinical trials involving 30 mesothelioma patients who were treated with chemotherapy followed by surgery and radiation.

The researchers took CT scans of the 30 patients’ lungs and calculated the size of their tumors before and after two rounds of chemotherapy. Patients diagnosed with stage III and stage IV cancer generally had larger tumors than those with less advanced cancer. The percentage change in the size of the tumor from the initial measurement to their evaluation after two cycles of chemotherapy was strongly associated with patients’ overall survival, the researchers said. They found a significant difference in the length of survival among patients whose tumors increased after chemotherapy and those whose tumors decreased.

The researchers said computer-aided measurements of tumors may offer doctors a more reliable way to assess patients’ response to treatment and could provide additional information about patients’ prognosis.

Labels: Mesothelioma, Research
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Researchers Report Clearer Understanding of How Asbestos Causes Mesothelioma

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

The paradox of how asbestos kills cells and yet spurs growth of cancerous tumors has perplexed scientists for decades. A group of scientists led by researchers at the University of Hawaii claim to have new insights into the process. Their research may offer new tools to identify people at risk of developing mesothelioma and to prevent or slow tumor growth in people already diagnosed with asbestos-related disease.

Thousands of Americans have been exposed to asbestos and are at risk of developing malignant mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people die of mesothelioma each year in the United States and tens of thousands more worldwide. In addition, asbestos exposure raises the risks that smokers will develop lung cancer.

But the long latency period of 30 to 50 years from asbestos exposure to the appearance of tumors may offer a window of opportunity to block the trigger mechanism that causes asbestos-related cancer.

People often unknowingly inhale microscopic asbestos fibers at workplaces and the fibers can permanently lodge in the lung, causing inflammation. Most human cells exposed to asbestos die within 24 to 48 hours. Dead cells should not be able to multiply and form tumors. So how do cancerous tumors eventually form?

In an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers describe how asbestos kills cells through a process called programmed cell necrosis that leads to the release of a molecule called mobility group box 1 protein or HMGB1. The protein begins an inflammatory chain reaction in tissue that causes the release of mutagens that promote tumor growth. Cancer often occurs in the presence of chronic inflammation.

Asbestos exposure leads to elevated levels of HMGB1 in the blood, the researchers note. In the study, people with a history of asbestos exposure had HMGB1 levels that were more than four times higher than those of healthy people who had not been exposed.

The researchers say that mesothelial cell death and release of HMGB1 function as triggers in mechanism that leads to asbestos-related cancers. Based on that, they suggest it may be possible eventually to target HMGB1 to treat mesothelioma and identify groups of people who have been exposed to asbestos by simple blood tests to measure HMGB1 levels. By interfering with the inflammatory reaction prompted by asbestos, it may be possible to decrease the occurrence of mesothelioma and reduce the rate of tumor growth among people already diagnosed with mesothelioma.

In the future, therapeutic approaches aimed at blocking chronic inflammation and in particular the protein HMGB1 could reduce the risk of malignant mesothelioma among workers exposed to asbestos.

To test their theory, the lead researchers, Drs. Haining Yang and Michele Carbone of the University of Hawaii plan to conduct a clinical trial in Cappadocia, Turkey, where more than 50 percent of the population of two rural villages dies of mesothelioma from exposure to mineral fibers used in building materials. If the trial produces positive results, they plan to try a similar approach on groups of people exposed to asbestos in the U.S.

Labels: Cancer, Featured News, Mesothelioma, Research
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Canada Health Groups Urge Halt to Asbestos Mining, Ban on Exports

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

A group of Canadian health organizations called on the national and provincial governments to halt the mining of asbestos in Quebec and ban exports of the hazardous mineral fiber. Asbestos is linked to mesothelioma and other fatal respiratory diseases that cause tens of thousands of deaths each year.

The Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Public Health Association, and the National Specialty Society for Community Medicine condemned Canada’s practice of providing financial subsidies to the asbestos industry and promoting exports of asbestos to developing nations that lack worker safety laws.

“More than 40 countries, including all member states of the European Union, have banned the use of all forms of asbestos including Chrysotile,” Dr. Cordell Neudorf, chairman of the Canadian Public Health Association Board of Directors, said in a press release. “There is clear scientific evidence that exposure to asbestos through mining, processing and use is harmful to health.”

While Canada strictly regulates use of asbestos within its borders, the country ranks as the world’s fifth largest exporter of Chrysotile asbestos. Much of the asbestos goes to developing countries where lax workplace safety regulations expose workers and their families to inhaling microscopic asbestos fibers, extending the epidemic of asbestos-related disease into new generations. Ninety-six percent of the output from the country remaining asbestos mines, both in Quebec, is exported to countries such as India and Indonesia.

“It is inconceivable that we would restrict the use of asbestos in our own country, but continue to export this hazardous material around the world,” Dr. Anne Doig, president of the Canadian Medical Association said in a statement.

The government of Quebec is currently considering extending a $58 million government loan guarantee to allow the reopening on the shuttered Jeffrey asbestos mine, one of the world’s largest open pit asbestos mines. The expansion would create 400 jobs in the town of Asbestos, Quebec, and keep Canada in the asbestos market for 25 years.

The health organizations urged the provincial government not to subsidize the reopening of the Jeffrey mine. Instead they said, all levels of Canadian government should direct new investments to support the transition of asbestos mining regions toward environmentally healthy and sustainable industries.

The World Health Organization, which has called for a ban on asbestos, estimates that 90,000 people die of asbestos related disease each year. In the U.S., approximately 2,500 to 3,000 people die of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen linked to asbestos exposure.

Labels: Asbestos, International News
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Wade Rawlins is a former environmental reporter with the Raleigh News & Observer.

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